DEC Seeks Volunteers for Annual “WAVE” Stream and River Monitoring Project

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is recruiting participants for the 2018 summer sampling season to help with water quality assessments in streams and rivers as part of the State’s Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators (WAVE) project. WAVE data collected by volunteers will provide valuable information to help identify healthy stream sites and flag sites with potential water quality concerns. This information is included in federal and state water quality reports and helps determine where restoration or conservation efforts are most needed.

The Town of Clifton Park has an abundance of streams to explore and monitor.  Please contact the Town of Clifton Park Open Space Coordinator for where there is public access to streams in town by calling (518) 371-6054.

All training materials are online so now anyone who can kick over a rock and has access to an online computer can participate! Participants visit stream sites once per year, anytime between July 1 and Sept. 30. Volunteers collect insects and other small organisms from the rocks and rubble on the stream bottom. If six or more of the “Most Wanted” organisms are found, the stream segment is assessed as having no known impacts and fully supporting aquatic life. If mostly “Least Wanted” organisms are found, the stream segment is flagged for further study. Visit the webpages above or send an e-mail to the DEC to learn more about WAVE.